Organizing for America | LuckyCharm's Blog: Sep 15 statewide roll-out, WA Vets for Obama!

Sep 15 statewide roll-out, WA Vets for Obama!

By LuckyCharm - Sep 12th, 2008 at 12:57 pm EDT

Also listed in: Washington Veterans for Obama

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Hello fellow veterans! I'm sure you're all as outraged as I am about the Republican attack ads, smears, lies, and voter suppression tactics in key states. Now is the time to fight back, and fight hard.

Washington Veterans for Obama will be officially rolling out on Monday, September 15th. As part of this effort, we'd like to get veterans statewide to approach your local VFW, AmVets, American Legion, and other military fraternal organizations to recruit new members, spread the TRUTH about our candidate, and get out the vote. Our tasks, then, in preparation for the roll-out, are:

If you haven't yet done so, fill out the survey providing your basic contact and military info, so that we can see at a glance how many folks we've got and where everyone's located. If you're not sure whether you filled it out or not, you can check the spreadsheet and resubmit your form if necessary (please note in the comments block if this is a re-submission). If these links don't work for you, go to:

(Survey form) http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pHEd_HnCUCSzAfpYA_SRoDQ
(Spreadsheet) http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pHEd_HnCUCSzAfpYA_SRoDQ&hl=en#

Sign into our group website. I've temporarily set it up so you don't need approval to join, so you can get started right away. I'll try to keep it that way till everyone's in. Go immediately to the Files and Resources page, where I have linked three documents the campaign has provided us to reach veterans (they're listed under the "documents for tabling" heading). Or, you can go directly to the links under "Files" -- the titles are self-explanatory. Check out these documents and print them out. You will need enough copies of all three to support your outreach efforts. If the previous link doesn't work for you, go here: http://groups.google.com/group/wavets4o
Get out your phone book or fire up Google and make a list of all the veterans organizations near you. Contact the post commander, preferably by phone, and ask to be allowed to speak at one of their meetings and/or set up a table to reach voters. Sample script: "Hello, I am [your name and military affiliation], and I'm with Washington Veterans for Obama. I would like to know if I could attend one of your meetings to provide important information for veterans and families about the upcoming election." Find out when they meet, and try to set something up. Keep going down the list until you've hit as many as you feel comfortable to start with. Make a note of who you talked to, when, and how receptive they seemed, along with any follow-up you may need to do.
Post a new discussion on the website indicating which post(s) you will be visiting. This will help us avoid duplicating efforts. If there's someone living close to you (check the spreadsheet), you may wish to team up and coordinate efforts. I encourage everyone to select the option to receive all group emails, so that you will know immediately if someone else has just contacted an organization you were planning to call.
Obtain a small stack of voter registration forms from your county auditor's office. Public schools and libraries should also have them -- call ahead to make sure. Bring voter registration forms to your tabling event!
Share your experiences with the rest of the group via the discussions feature on the website. Some of us may be a little nervous at first about "cold-calling" these organizations, and hearing how it went for you, along with any lessons learned, might be all they need to feel more comfortable about it.

Last but not least, have fun with it! Remember, you are not asking anyone for any personal favors -- you are OFFERING them an OPPORTUNITY to empower themselves and to continue their service to our country by getting involved in the most important election, perhaps in their lifetime. An opportunity to help make history and turn our ship of state toward brighter horizons. Get names, phone numbers, and email addresses of everyone who accepts a flyer or expresses interest or support, and follow up to recruit them to our group. The more hands on deck, the easier our jobs will be.

I will be obtaining and posting an official sign-up sheet as soon as I have it from the campaign (probably today), so don't forget to print that out and have it with you. Any questions, difficulties with the survey, spreadsheet, or website, or concerns about answering objections, please don't hesitate to contact me: PierceCoVets@gmail.com, 253-507-9460.

Yours in service,

SSG Cheryl Kopec, USAR
Chair, WA Vets for Obama
--
The time for can't do, won't do, won't even try, is OVER!

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